Letters to the editor: Cut wages of public employees

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

How can the government solve the debt problem? Our government is in complete disarray regarding our national debt. Taxing the rich, and/or cutting entitlements are not the complete solution. A large part of the solution should include reducing the cost of 21 million government employees.

While the majority of private sector employees have had to take cuts in wages of up to 50 percent because of the recent severe recession, government employees, for the most part, felt little effect because they have not had any cuts in their wages or pensions. Some have recently even gotten raises in pay and benefits.

Statistics show that the average public sector employee today has earnings and pensions that are double that of the private sector. Taxes on the private sector pay for the wages of the public sector (government employees). Is it fair? That is like the tail wagging the dog.

A large part of our national debt of $16 trillion can be cut by reducing government employees’ pay and pensions by 10 percent, which would amount to a savings of $2 trillion to $3 trillion over the next 10 years. This should be followed by a reduction in pay and pension benefits of 2 percent over the next several years, until the ratio between the public sector and the private sector wages are equal. That would be fair. If and when our government enacts any cuts in the budget, there should be no layoffs allowed. That would put more people out on the streets.

Cuts in government wages and pensions is the best answer to lower the debt.

Wake up America. We in the private sector are being held hostage by the government employees.